I was recently reminded that when any of us ask for something, it tends to be important.
And how a company responds to our requests, is important.
I part exchanged my old car for a new beautiful creature, otherwise known as a Lexus RX. It’s a glorious colour and it glides along with wonderful smoothness. I simply love it.
But within a week of collecting the new car, I realised I’d left something in the old one. It was an air freshener which was gifted to me at Christmas by my sister, which reflected thought and love which to me, meant it was not simply an air freshener. It was the Yankee Candle Fluffy Towels fragrance, my favourite, and it had been bought in consultation with a nephew who knew how much I’d love it.
And I’d gone and left it in my old car!
So, what d’you think happened when I was passing and asked if it could be retrieved? I didn’t mention any of the Christmas gift background, just that I’d really appreciate the air freshener being retrieved.
The context, for what it’s worth, is that although I didn’t realise it at the time, it was their year end, and common sense tells me that in retrospect, they as a team were under a lot of pressure. They didn’t let on.
The keys couldn’t be found immediately. So did they fob me off, dismissing this low priority request for a business selling expensive cars?
No.
The receptionist, with the title Guest Relations, otherwise known as Jen, got involved in retrieving the keys, which for various reasons were not in the place they had anticipated. Calls were made. My husband was served coffee (he loves their coffee). We chatted with the team there about cars, properties, social media, the world and where it’s heading, dinner plans and… after a genuinely enjoyable experience, my fluffy towels air freshener was dangled before my nostrils.
And then the Lexus team had a sniff and agreed it was definitely worth retrieving, and I went home feeling that my request had been dealt with as actively as if I’d shown interest in buying another car.
I can honestly say that although in the scheme of things, an air freshener doesn’t seem important, if it hadn’t been important to me, I wouldn’t have asked for it.
The fact that I asked for it, means it was important.
It was a good reminder for me as a business owner that if someone asks me for something, or wants to clarify something, or wants to chat through something, it’s because it’s important. And how we deal with the little things, how we respond, can nurture and support our clients beautifully, if we handle things right.
I understand that the motto for Lexus is “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” and having driven one for years now, it’s clear that it’s incorporated into the engineering and mechanical details. The car simply glides. But it’s also part of the Lexus experience when it comes to the Lexus team, whether I’m dealing with Gordon in service or Raf in sales. They understand that the little things all add up to big things.
If you want to discuss what’s important to you in your Will, or you want to chat through your reasons for consciously deciding to not have a Will, get in touch with Jane on 01727 840 240 or at Jane@jcwillsandprobate.co.uk and we can talk about what’s important.